That would explain Lindblom's season with the Sharks, to be fair. Not like he's impressed, but I'm still waiting for more than like half of the first game of the season for him to get a shot with any skilled guys, the likes of which he's actually contributed alongside in the past.
He was given time with Couture’s line and he was given a chance on the third line when he was pushed down to the fourth line. He has shown nothing to get a higher chance. He also had time in Philly on the first line, then dropped to the second, then the third, then was bought out.
Yep, wasn't a terrible buy low by Grier there but Lindblom blows...great story, crap player
You know i question whether it was even really a buy low. Dude got a raise (or the same amount or close to it). He was a buy out. On the Svechnikov contract or even just signed for a year, I would have loved it. I hated the contract at the time and hate it more now. You’re right though great story and not a good enough player.
Yeah, Lindblom will be soaking up cap space for another year, too (along with the Balcers buyout), for a guy who has been about as impactful as any warm body could have been.
He was given a whopping 12:31 of ice time with couture for the entire season. 8:19 with barabanov. 6:24 with meier. 12:03 with hertl.
He has barely even gotten a sniff of playing with the top lines. He has less then 1 game combined on the 1st and 2nd line of this team. If anyone expects him to just gell that quickly then there expectations are just a little to high.
He hasn’t shown he can really play or any glimpses. He needs to show he deserves a chance.
I notice him because he looks like half a gear of gamespeed slower than everyone else.
I can't tell you how many times I have had to look up his jersey # to remind me what player it is. I am a numbers guy.
Why you gotta do rice like that man
Cool, I’m guessing the Hertl contract expires at the end of this season? Or maybe it’s after next season? Just give me a minute to look that up.
lol at Hertl's contract being a noose. Give me a break. Hertl will help the next competitive Sharks team if there is one in that time frame.
Exactly, We will hopefully draft our next 1C at this year’s draft. Hertl will shelter him by continuing to play 1C until he is ready to take the spot. Then Hertl will drop to 2C and take the tough matchups.
I don’t even think it’s just about helping the next competitive team. From all accounts, Hertl is a fantastic locker room presence and every shift he’s out there working his ass off. He’s one of the players that I think could teach our young guys a ton while also taking the top comp until they are ready.
Sounds good in theory but Hertl could easily be 34-35 years old by the time the team is ready to compete again by which point he is more likely to be an extremely overpaid 3C than a tough minutes 2C. It's just not realistic to expect him to maintain his current level of play for years to come which is why that contract was an insane one for the Sharks to commit to from the moment it was signed.
And at 34 or 35, he'll have two or three years left on his contract with a 15 team trade list where the team currently has no dead money, no Vlasic, and no Karlsson. They will be fine, chicken little.
